You Want Me to do What? (Part 5)

You know I found myself this week, literally weeping uncontrollably before God and saying there's Laura Magnus generation electric generation more like this generation have the faith of Joshua generation.

My generation Lord have the courage and the theories of justice generation Joshua generation could have said you wanted to do what and that's the title of Dr. Michael you Sanskrit series on leading the way you want me to do what it is packed with lessons to help you face the seemingly impossible situations of your life and God probably will not be asking you to cross a raging river or to walk around Jericho with a marching band like Joshua that he may ask you to do something where your gut reaction is you want me to do what listen with me now to a message called staying with the program from Dr. Michael you Seth. Fear is one of those emotions that I never trivialize or minimize it's one of those emotions that I never underestimate and if you read some of my books like of God is in control why my life was such a mess you have read some of my testimony of how at times I've experienced what I would call a rash wall and naked fear. I know how fear can be one of the most demoralizing experience in human existence.

I know that and there's nothing wrong with experiencing fear.

At times the question is how do you overcome fear. How do you defeat fear.

That's really what matters because if fear is not overcome in your life and in my life. Why do I say this because I have seen it when continuous fear stays in your life robs you of joy, continuous fear deprives you of your effectiveness for Christ. Continuous fear will steal your God-given potential for him. Continuous fear will render you useless for the kingdom of God because continuous fear is Satan's method of keeping you from understanding your mission in life that you are an apostle of Jesus Christ in your workplace and your school that you will be heading up from witnessing the power of salvation. When you live in fear, but the only thing I understood through the years of overcoming an overwhelming fear is face. I have experience in my own life that whenever fear is up.

Faith is down. I whenever faith is up. Fear is down is like that seesaw you see, courage is not an absence of fear, but courage is fear that has been all along.

By faith somebody was lamenting the fact how fear has kept modern day Christians believers from witnessing for Jesus Christ. Fear of all kinds after people's mouths shut up, testifying to the power of God's forgiveness and healing in our lives because in days gone by the believers in Jesus Christ saw themselves as a mighty spiritual army for Jesus Christ. In days gone by. Christians viewed themselves as soldiers were Jesus Christ.

Christian viewed themselves as warriors for Jesus Christ. Christian viewed themselves as a mighty army lined up behind the commander-in-chief and that is why they sang songs like onward Christian soldiers marching us toward today. The church of Jesus Christ is open for entertainment and we have ceased to see ourselves that we are men and women, boys and girls of power and Mike that we are soldiers enlisted in the greatness army that is ever existed. The Army of Jesus Christ in this poor guy looked around and saw what happened to the Church of Jesus Christ of the believers in errata parody of the song is what he said I want the reader to backward Christian soldiers fleeing from the fight with the cross of Jesus clearly out of sight Christ our rightful master stands against the fall, but forward into battle. We are too chicken to go like a mighty tortoise moves the Church of God, brothers, we are treading where we have often threatened, where much divided many brothers.

We having different doctrines and not much charity crowns and phones. My parish kingdoms rise in Wayne, but the church of Jesus hidden does remain gates of hell should never against the church prevail. We have Christ's own province, but we think will fail. Sit here than your people join our use was strong blend with hours your voices in a feeble song.

Blessings, ease and comfort. I ask from Christ the King with our modern thinking we want do a thing.

It hurts doesn't the Israelites in the book of Joshua chapter 6 when a mighty army and saw themselves.

Thus, because they refused to allow fear to dominate the life they refused to allow things to distract them from the mission.

They refused to allow the previous victories to hinder them from moving into another victory.

They refused to allow fear to keep them from conquering walls and 11 I want to tell you something. That is what fear is doing the believers today. It is keeping them from conquering the walls of Satan's domain is keeping them from bringing down the walls of addictions keeping them from defeating temptation in the lives keeping them from reclaiming the places of work in the schools in the neighborhoods Jesus Christ keeping them from giving generously of themselves to the work of God here and around the globe keeping them from telling the world about the one who saved them eternally. Perhaps there was no point in Israel's history before or after this time here in Joshua chapter 6 when they exercised faith and overcame fear than this one here in Joshua chapter 6 see the previous generation of Israelites all died of the wilderness and every one of them got buried in the wilderness and then saw the promised land.

And there's a good reason for that because there were constantly whining and complaining because there were constantly criticizing and murmuring all the time. No wonder God waited until the generation died. Before he took the next generation on the promise land. You know I found myself this week, literally weeping uncontrollably before God and saying this lowered my generation like the Joshua generation more by this generation have the faith of Joshua generation. My best generation, Lord, have the courage and the victories of Joshua generation Joshua generation could have said you limited to what you want us to do what penetrate the impenetrable US to do what you see this fortified wall here. Can't you see that Jericho is an impossibility is beyond our ability to conquer. Can't you hear the planting of the Knights of us to understand how mighty Jericho is not you know that they have in advance armories. They have advanced weaponry and, furthermore, listen, Joshua was his divine strategy is to juggle what was his divine strategy was to do what march around the walls once a day in silence. Then on the seventh day march seven times then then on the seventh day you want us to blow trumpets in and shall was going to do to the wall and accomplish. This has to be the most bizarre, the most nonsensical strategy. What is this marching supposed to accomplish supposed to do other than make us a laughingstock of the Canaanites. What is this marching outside of the wall supposed to accomplish other than getting us killed by the spirit of the Canaanites. Even Joshua himself, even though he is a veteran of many wars must've had his doubts about the strategy but he responded in unquestioned obedience and beloved. That's what faith is all about.

Listen we can all spend our time debating what faith is.

Faith is very simple.

It is expressed in absolute unquestioned obedience to the will of God.

Everything else is just talk. Joshua probably felt that this divine strategy just doesn't make sense but as it got to do it and I'm Benedict. It may not be the most logical and may not be the most rational.

It might not be the most intelligent strategy that he has ever encountered, but not all the way, whatever you say it doesn't make sense to me but I'll do it for me ask you this.

What is your Jericho. What is your Jericho one is your menacing obstacle that stands in the way of your victory. What is that giant that is harassing you and bring you what is hindering you from keeping and claiming your school annual workplace in your neighborhood for Jesus Christ. What is that past that is you hostage.

What is that power that got you in its clutches.

So much so that you feel inadequate and adequate to speak to someone about the power of God to forgive sin to heal and restore fear of rejection is it fear of failure is it fear of embarrassment is a fear of being taunted a make a promise if you look deep to find out the cause of that fear in your life and you keep digging and you keep digging and you keep thinking you gonna discover the root.

There is disobedience there disobedience in your life. So what's the answer to all of God's program is or how do I do that what is God's program is for you to exercise complete trust in the promises of God is for you to develop a complete trust in the presence of God is he that's what the ark of the covenant was all about. It was representing to them the presence of God sure help us across the river Jordan government takes over that wall discuss program how do I trust in God's program. How do I trust in the presence of God in my life. How do I do that by spending adequate time alone in the presence of your heavenly father developing intimacy with him. But how does it work practically. As you develop intimacy with God.

He's going to direct you.

Sometimes God is going to say. Keep your mouth shut his house for some sometimes is that you need to speak to see for so God is saying just love that person. Don't say a thing until the right time for others been silent for so long. Got to say now you need to speak to you, he will guide you.

This program listen carefully. Please, I am convinced I'm convinced personally.

Being from the Middle East myself. I am convinced that the greatest temptation to these guys was to stay silent for a week to do what march around and around for first day and then the second day, not saying a mumbling word coming, how can you do this I mean that is a miracle in itself. Must've been telling them I can get some of them want to express themselves. I'm convinced one of them wanted to lean over and say hey Joe Joe, I don't like this one bit. Do you know I can't stand the silence is killing all this marching can you believe it.

Can you believe this guy Joshua telling us of going shopping blow trumpets on the seventh day you can have victory. Yeah this guy's dense. I'm man for the days of Moses. He's always listen to our complaints and always cried to God to change his mind. Silence was killing them. Not only that, but these drives have always been on each other's throats. I mean day for they argued they had the worst time he the United no bickering, no complaining, no murmuring United how many of you believe that if this body of believers. This body of believers become united in prayer become united in tithing and giving become united in serving become united in witnessing become united in mission become united in reaching out and reclaiming our schools and our workplaces in our neighborhoods for Jesus Christ. How many of you believe that will change a city. I believe that with every ounce of my being a man give God glory. Amen. You know I read that Gen. Patton, who was very unorthodox anyway. Had a very unusual method by which he promoted officers in the Army very unusual. He would say to the officers man I want you to go behind this warehouse and I wanted to dig a trench. I wanted to be 8 feet long and I wanted to be 3 feet wide and I wanted to be 6 inch deep. And then he lets them go do the job. Unbeknown to them. There was a room in that warehouse behind which the going to dig the trench where all the tools are kept in next to the room that has the tools and it. He sits there. So as they come to get the tools to dig a trench he would hear every word that has spoken someone would say this is the work for officers.

Some would say this phrase need to be dug by electric powers, not by hand.

Others would complain about how pointless it is to bend the trench in this lousy weather. Others will complain why only 6 inches deep within. There would be that odd officer who would say something to the effect.

Who cares what the so-and-so wants to do with the trench and get it over and done with and that was precisely the officer that was promoted the blood. Listen to me God to is looking for men and women Boys and Girls Club God to is looking for those who put their faith.

The work by unquestioning obedience.

Because here's the truth of the Scripture. When you acting obedience, God will manifest his power.

When you acting obedience, God will work in the hearts of others and softening the hottest of them all.

When you acting obedience, God will manifest his awesomeness. When you do the possible God is going to do the impossible. When you follow here's a strategy he will give you success when you get on with his program. He will bless the smallest and the simplest things in your life he will give you Jericho. Whatever you Jericho might be. He will give it to you. You notice in the Scripture says the Lord really gave it to us as if this really happened, he will make walls that look impact on your life. Crumble, he will melt hearts.

He will confuse the enemy when Jesus turned water into wine.

He asked for the jars to be filled with water so you know that's odd. The one who is able to click his finger and change water into wine surely must be able to just fill the jars himself just said, let there be water and there was water now. He wanted them to be part of the medical just like he wants you to be part of the miracle of saving souls when he raised Lazarus from the dead. He asked for the stone to be removed.

One minute the God who tells her that the rise surely click his fingers and stone will be removed. Sure they could've done that but he didn't because he wanted them to be part of the miracle God wants us involved in the medical listen, God is one of those converting of souls.

Anyway, God is the one who brings conviction and reveals to us that we are sinners and heading for eternal damnation. Unless we repent and turn to receive forgiveness from the hand of Jesus Christ. Only God can do that but he uses you and you and you and me to be involved in the medical what a privilege. What an honor. When you do what you can do.

God will do only what God can do when you reach out and love that person know this person that God is delayed on your heart, who's desperate to hear the message of forgiveness to hear the message of peace and inner peace that hear the message of meaningful life to hear the message of eternal life.

God will soften hearts. When you let his light shine in your life he will shine his light on the other person's heart. Listen the secret of success in Jericho was not Joshua's military ingenuity. It was not his skills in warfare, victory came because Joshua and the people of God heard God and obeyed God simple and yet most people stumble over it is so simple. Listen to God I got victory came because they followed God's strategy victory came because they got on God's program, not their own program and God will give you victory when you begin to see your first task as a missionary in your mission field. We begin to see your first task is obedience. If you sit in the presence of God. Unheard of flustered. He will give you the words to speak sometime soon.

Keep your mouth shut. He is the God of the harvest and he no when the harvest is healing. When you are still and know that he is God, he will God your words you will. God steps he will guide her mind. God service you will overwhelm all the ones that are known and the winds are on Dr. Michael you sent the reminder that victory comes to obedience to the father. If you'd like to find out more about what it means to have victory in the Christian life go to LTW.org/Jesus or call us at 866-626-4356 and many of you have stood with Dr. Yousef over the years praying for the expansion of leading the way, lifting my collapse when opportunities to expand and reach many with the gospel of Christ around the world become available on the year had it stage to be a monumental one and tacking a separate line free to join in as a frontline mission partner. These are friends of the ministry who helped fuel the mission of leading the way to proclaim the good news to disciple new and seasoned believers and to help those experiencing difficulties due to the FA. I am so grateful to our frontline mission partners and for those who are going to be frontline mission partners what God is doing through your consistent monthly giving is the most amazing things are happening. I personally never thought I'll see it in my lifetime we are seeing not only expansion of our programs all over the world, particularly in the desperate part of the world where people have no near neighbor to tell them about Jesus, we are seeing thousands upon thousands of lives are being transformed converted to Christ when they are signing their own death warrant when they come to Christ because that's the condition in their countries, and yet God is doing it and because of you and your prayer.

God has blessed but we are ambitious for God, not for ourselves and so we want to see millions of people come to Christ, at least for us.

We are saying we want to hear from 1 million people so continued to stand with us. Continue to partner with me and read together going to see the glory of God happening in the lives of many people. The number to call about becoming trying mission partner, 866-626-4356 866-626-4356 and that website again. LTW.org and send leading the way, PO Box 20100, Atlanta, GA 30325 PO Box 20100, Atlanta, GA 30325 that have broadcasted today to make it a point to join us again next time when Dr. Michael once again opens the word of God to passionately proclaim uncompromising truth on leading the way